RFA Wave Chief

Launched: 4 April 1946Into Service: 30 July 1946Out of service: August 1974Fate: Broken up

Items of historic interest involving this ship: -

Background Data: A need for fast tankers to bring oil into the country had been envisaged early in the Second World War, but by the time the material had been collected and the Yards had space to build them, the need had largely passed and the original design of diesel-engined ships was abandoned. Instead, the standard 12000t Class being built were given sharper bows and sterns and turbine engines with water tube boilers. In all, 21 of this type were built and were offered to the Admiralty, who wanted faster tankers for the Pacific Fleet Train. The Admiralty took 20 of them ( the final vessel being completed commercially for Oil and Molasses Tankers Ltd, London as BEECHWOOD) and renamed them with the WAVEnomenclature. Performance varied considerably from ship to ship and they underwent various modifications in their rigs for RAS work. The 8 best ones were finally given an extensive refit, with extra accommodation added to the Bridge Deck and extra turbo cargo pumps and derricks to make them more satisfactory for Fleet work. Initially expensive to run, they recouped some of their expensive repair bills by earning revenues from charter work after the Korean War. From this Class was evolved the TIDE CLASS oilers.

9 September 1948 sailed Port Said to Gibraltar arriving 15 September 1948 to discharge

27 September 1948 sailed Gibraltar

11 October 1948 while passing Jezirat Farur in collision with a Dhow named Bataram Han from Muscat which sank. Eleven survivors from the Dhow were picked up. One other was missing. One of the survivors (a child) was badly injured

12 October 1948 arriving Abadan and the survivors were landed and the injured child was admitted to Abadan Hospital

14 October 1948 sailed Abadan to Port Tewfik arriving 25 October 1948

26 October 1948 sailed Port Said to Portsmouth Harbour arriving 5 November 1948 to discharge

25 June 1950 with RN ships and 18 other RFA's joined the US 7th Fleet in Naval Operations which became known as the Korean War

20 November 1950 while on passage from Abadan to Devonport passed Gibraltar

7 December 1950 passed the Lloyds Signal Station on the Lizard sailing westwards

11 December 1950 arrived Glasgow from Devonport

3 January 1951 Captain F A Shaw RFA appointed as Master

2 October 1951 alongside at Pulau Bukom, Singapore

18 November 1951 while refuelling HMAS SYDNEY off Korea an accident occurred causing the loss of a considerable amount of fuel and with damage to the RAS rig. Prior to the accident the aircraft carrier had received AVGAS and 840 tons of FFO

6 October 1956 while on passage from Singapore to Bangkok RASed with HMAS ANZAC

16 October 1956 while on passage from Bangkok to Saigon RASed with HMAS ANZAC - supplied 302 tons of FFO

28 November 1956 Seaman George Goldburn pleaded not guilty at Singapore Criminal Court to deserting from the ship. The case was adjourned.

December 1956 / January 1957 supply tanker to HM Royal Yacht Britannia with HRH the Duke of Edinburgh on board in the Southern Oceans

13 November 1957 ran aground on a sand bank at Batu Puteh, off Ferry Point, Changi, Singapore 14 out of her 18 tanks were holed.

1957 to 1960 Supported Operation Grapple X - the British H-bomb test at Christmas Island in the Pacific Ocean - along with 16 other RFA’s

21 April 1958 at the Seaman's Club, Bombay Quartermaster Ching Ah Lee discharged dead - he died of a stroke

13 November 1958 Mr J Jones RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

18 November 1958 Captain Frank S Samson RFA appointed as Master

Captain Frank Samson RFA

22 November 1958 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 17 December 1958

6 January 1959 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 19 January 1959

20 February 1959 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 17 March 1959

26 March 1959 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 13 April 1959

6 July 1959 Captain Patty Colfer RFA appointed as Master

12 July 1959 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 4 August 1959

14 September 1959 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 4 October 1959

19 November 1959 Mr R C Putt RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

4 January 1959 at Rosyth

7 January 1960 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 21 January 1960

23 February 1960 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 14 March 1960

28 June 1960 Captain J D G Gray RFA appointed as Master

25 October 1960 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 18 November 1960

2 December 1960 Mr A C Hawk RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

23 January 1961 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 1st Cod War until 5 February 1961

1961 was commended by C in C Nore and subsequently by the Board of the Admiralty for her speedy and entirely successful assistance to the Haisborough Light Vessel which was sinking after a collision with another vessel

10 May 1961 sailed Malta for Trinidad

21 June 1961 Captain William R Town RFA appointed as Master

22 June 1961 at Devonport

9 October 1961 RASed with HMS BERMUDA

1 November 1961 RASed with HMS BERMUDA

4 December 1961 Mr J A Swallow RFA appointed as Chief Engineer Officer

Between 24 September 1965 and 2 December 1965 RFA Wave Chief, the cruiser HMS TIGER, HMS LONDON, HMS LYNA, HMS PENELOPE, HMS/M ODIN undertook a good will mission around South America and replenished all units apart from the submarine in the Magellan Straits.

20 January 1971 berthed at Curacao and loaded 7,788 tons of FFO and 2,472 tons of diesel as cargo

21 January 1971 sailed Curacao to Plymouth

3 February 1971 anchored in Plymouth Sound

4 February 1971 berthed at Yonderberry to discharge cargo

6 February 1971 sailed Yonderberry to Spithead and anchored

8 February 1971 moved from Spithead to Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty

12 February 1971 RFA EDDYFIRTH berthed alongside to starboard

13 February 1971 RFA EDDYFIRTH sailed

15 February 1971 sailed Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty to Rotterdam

16 February 1971 arrived at Rotterdam and commenced loading cargo

17 February 1971 loaded 7,349 tons of FFO and 2,556 tons of diesel and sailed to Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty

19 February 1971 discharged cargo ashore

22 February 1971 sailed Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty to Rotterdam

23 February 1971 berthed at Rotterdam and loaded cargo

24 February 1971 having loaded 6,420 tons of FFO and 2,527 tons of diesel sailed to Freetown

5 March 1971 anchored off Freetown

8 March 1971 sailed Freetown to Simonstow, Dockyard, South Africa

19 March 1971 berthed at Simonstown Dockyard, on C Wall to discharge

22 March 1971 sailed Simonstown to Freetown

February 1972 with HMS DANAE and HMS Achilles visited Jamestown, St. Helena

28 March 1972 arrived Malta

30 March 1972 sailed Malta to RAS HMS BULWALK off the island

9 April 1972 sailed Malta

16 June 1972 an emergency signal claiming to be from the Greek tanker Olympic Champion was received in Malta - the signal claimed the ship was sinking 120 miles east of Malta. RAF Units and Wave Chief were diverted to the scene. The signal was a hoax.

15 to 17 March 1973 involved with RN and Icelandic Naval and Royal Air Force Units together with some trawlers in a joint search and rescue operation for an Icelandic Trawler Sjoestjarnan - no survivors found.

19 May 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 22 May 1973

1 June 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 14 June 1973

18 June 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 24 June 1973

10 July 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 15 July 1973

21 July 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 24 July 1973

11 August 1973 deployed in support of RN units off Iceland during 2nd Cod War until 14 August 1973

1 January 1974 at Invergordon

7 January 1974 at Cromarty alongside RFA DERWENTDALE to pump over 8,031 tons of FFO and 2,588 Diesel as cargo

10 Janary 1974 sailed Cromarty for passage to Portsmouth

12 January 1974 badly injured Cheung Tai Fat, Deck Store Keeper medivaced from the ship by RAF helicopter 55 miles east of Aberdeen on Storm Force 10 winds. Helicopter pilot subsequently awarded "Queens Commendation for Valuable Service in the Air". The injured Deck Storekeeper had broken ribs and lacerations to his face

15 January 1974 berthed at Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty

21 January 1974 sailed Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty to Montevideo

9 February 1974 arrived Montevideo

11 February 1974 sailed Montevideo to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

14 February 1974 anchored at Port William, Falkland Islands

19 February 1974 discharged 2,662 tons of diesel oil

20 February 1974 sailed Port William to Rio de Janerio

26 February 1974 arrived Rio de Janerio

2 March 1974 sailed Rio de Janerio to Portsmouth arriving 27 March 1974

2 April 1974 at Gosport Oil Fuel Jetty

1 July 1974 at Portland Dockyard

7 August 1974 sailed Portland to destore at Rosyth

August 1974 laid up at Rosyth

September 1974 placed on the Disposal List. The last of the WAVE Class

13 November 1974 arrived at Inverkeithing, Fife for breaking up by T.W.Ward Ltd after sale for £ 208,825. Demolition did not commence until the following year as she was the outboard one of two ships.

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